§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how and in what way the adoption of Regulation No. 2451/71/EEC of 15th November, 1971, on calculating the financial compensation for certain fishery products will affect British industry engaged in these activities; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThis regulation supplements the main fisheries marketing regulation, 2142/70, which among other things provides for a form of market intervention. Under this, organisations of producers withdrawing fish from the market at price levels laid down by the Community can be partially compensated from the Community's Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (FEOGA). This voluntary system of intervention will be available to United Kingdom producers after 1st January, 1973. The compensation paid from FEOGA will go some way towards meeting the cost to the producer organisation of indemnifying its members for the fish which they have withdrawn. Our interpretation of 337W the purpose of the later regulation, 2451/71, is that the level of compensatory payment to a producer organisation is directly linked to the rate of indemnity paid to individual producers, so that, as the latter rate diminishes, the compensatory payment is proportionally reduced.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how and in what way the adoption of Directive 72/2/EEC of 20th December, 1971, making a seventh amendment to the Directive on the approximation of the laws of member states on preservatives for use in foodstuffs intended for human consumption, will affect British industry engaged in these activities; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThis directive will have no effect on the use of preservatives by the British food industry.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how and in what way the adoption of Regulation 2839/71/EEC of 24th December, 1971, extending the period of applicability of additional quality classes of certain fruits and vegetables will affect British industry engaged in these activities; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThis regulation, which extends to 31st December, 1974, the period in which class III standards for certain fruit and vegetables may operate, will be superseded on our accession to the EEC by the agreement annexed to the Treaty of Accession (Cmnd. 4862–II, page 24) under which the application of class III standards may be extended until 31st December, 1977. These standards are brought into operation as necessary to meet consumer requirements in the Community.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how and in what way the adoption of Regulation 2520/71/EEC of 24th November, 1971, fixing, for the marketing season 1972–73, minimum prices for exports to third countries of certain flowering bulbs and tubers will affect British industry engaged in these activities; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartTrade in spring flowering bulbs is mainly done in the338W autumn, and the regulation which will apply in Britain from 1st February to 31st May, 1973, is unlikely to have any effect on British industry. Arrangements will be made to inform British interests of the Community system, which follows an earlier voluntary arrangement between British and Dutch bulb interests.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how and in what way the adoption of Regulation 55/72/EEC of 10th January, 1972, laying down conditions for inviting tenders for the disposal of fruit and vegetables which have been withdrawn from the market, will affect British industry engaged in these activities; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThis regulation, which will apply in Britain on 1st February, 1973, is not expected to have any immediate effect as British prices for fresh fruit and vegetables are above Community intervention levels. Contingency arrangements will be made, however, for the proposed Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce to operate its provisions.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how and in what way the adoption of Regulation 2697/71/EEC of 17th December, 1971 on the procedure for imports of olive oil from Morocco will affect British industry engaged in these activities; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThis regulation gives effect to provisions in the Association Agreement between Morocco and the EEC for imports of olive oil into the Community. It provides a preference for Morocco in a way which does not affect the import price. It would not therefore affect British industry.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how and in what way the adoption of Regulation 2725/71/EEC of 20th December, 1971, amending Regulation (EEC) No. 888/68 as regards the definition of preserved beef and veal will affect British industry engaged in these activities; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThis amending regulation reduces the total content of beef and jelly which preserved foods 339W must contain in order that frozen beef may be imported free of levy for use in their manufacture. The operation of this arrangement in the United Kingdom is being discussed with the interests concerned.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how and in what way the adoption of Regulation 2705/71/EEC of 20th December, 1971 on fixing for oils and fats the tolerance limits provided for in article 5 of Regulation (EEC) 786/69 will affect British industry engaged in these activities; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThis regulation is concerned solely with financial accounting between FEOGA and the intervention agency and would not affect British industry in any way.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how and in what way the adoption of Regulation 2764/71/EEC of 23rd December, 1971 on amending in respect of tariff nomenclature Regulations (EEC) Nos. 1077/68 and 1080/68 concerning processed products based on cereals will affect British industry engaged in these activities; and whether he will make a statement;
(2) how and in what way the adoption of Regulation 2806/71 /EEC of 23rd December, 1971 establishing supplementary rules concerning the grant of refund on export for certain processed products based on cereals and rice will affect British industry engaged in these activities; and whether he will make a statement;
(3) how and in what way the adoption of Regulation 2706/71/EEC of 25th December, 1971 on the method of testing peroxidase activity in certain products processed from cereals will affect British industry engaged in these activities; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThese regulations make minor changes mainly in the Community's arrangements for import levies and export refunds. My right hon. Friend has no reason to think that they would have any significant effect on British industry.
340W
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how and in what way the adoption of Regulation 2838/71/EEC of 24th December, 1971 supplementing Regulation (EEC) No. 805/68 with regard to advance fixing of the levy for beef and veal will affect British industry engaged in these activities; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartAdvance fixing of levies on imports of fresh and chilled beef is intended to assist exporters in more distant countries to compete on the Community market with those in countries nearby. United Kingdom importers will of course be able to take advantage of this provision after our accession on the same basis as those in other parts of the enlarged Community.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how and in what way the adoption of Regulation No. 2810/71/EEC of 23rd December, 1971 concerning the special system to be applied to certain frozen beef and veal imports will affect British industry engaged in these activities; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThe Community regulations provide for the total or partial suspension of the levy on imports of certain types of frozen beef for processing. The procedure for operating this arrangement in the United Kingdom after our accession is being discussed with the interests concerned. The actual rate of suspension of the levy is varied from time to time according to circumstances on the Community market.